


With This Ring

by blueboxesandtrafficcones



Series: 31 Days of Ficmas 2017 [7]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Bigger On The Inside, F/M, Pockets, proposal fic, they're engaged!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 09:50:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12956661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueboxesandtrafficcones/pseuds/blueboxesandtrafficcones
Summary: The Doctor fumbles his way through an impromptu proposal in the middle of a family dinner.Bickering and hilarity ensues.





	With This Ring

**Author's Note:**

> Day 7 of 31 Days of Ficmas! Today - ring.

He didn’t know why he was waiting.

Whenever Jackie asked (which was often – at least once a day), he babbled some vague excuse.

He was waiting for the right time.  He had a plan.  He was working on it.

All of which was just that – excuses.

He wanted it to be perfect, what Rose deserved – going so far as to do research with his limited resources, including sitting through Rose’s awful romantic comedy movies looking for ideas.

He had nothing.

But above all, he definitely had _not_ planned on her family being present, never mind involved.

Which is why it was as much a surprise to him as it was to Rose when it finally did happen.

-

“Doctor?”  Tony’s beseeching eyes stared up at him as the little boy swayed next to his chair.

“Go ahead,” he confirmed, lips twitching in amusement as the child gave a happy shout, pulling the Doctor’s suit jacket from the back of the chair and diving into the pockets with glee.

Almost from the beginning, Rose’s brother had been fascinated by the bigger-on-the-inside pockets to the point where he’d tried several times to climb inside, barely being rescued by the Doctor.

By now, it was standard practice that as soon as he was done eating dinner he’d start digging through those pockets in search of anything interesting, usually bored with the adult conversation around him.

“-so there we are, people dropping like flies, Agatha’s having trouble grasping the alien wasp concept, when-”

“Can I have this?”  Heedless of his rudeness Tony asked his question, holding the item in hand.

“Sure,” the Doctor barely glanced at it, trying to remember where he was in the story, when the glimpse of the treasure processed.

“No!”  He cried in a panic, all but lunging for the little boy and carefully wrestling it out of his hands.  “No, Tony, I’m sorry, but you can’t have that,” he said firmly, grasping it close.  “You’re welcome to pick out something – anything – else, but not this.”

Tony pouted, but went back to digging as the Doctor picked up his story.

“So just as-”

“What was that about?”  Like mother, like son, Jackie didn’t hesitate to interrupt him.

“What?”

“What did Tony have that was so important?”  She wanted to know, trying to crane her neck to see her son.  “Is he all right?”

“Wha- course he’s fine.  Doesn’t matter what he had,” the Doctor said brusquely, fist tightening around it.  “As I was saying-”

“That was quite an overreaction for nothing,” Pete said curiously, keen eyes watching the alien who appeared to be sweating bullets.

“It’s just – it’s precious is all, and it’s mine and no one else’s,” he babbled, clearly nervous.

“What is it, a ring?”  Rose asked, amused at how closely he resembled Gollum at the moment.

It had only been a joke, but the way the blood drained from his face as his eyes widened in full blown panic made her sit up straight.

“No, course not,” he said weakly, entirely unconvincing as he tried to sit on his hands.

“Doctor?”

He simply stared at her, and Rose wasn’t entirely sure he was breathing; now her curiosity was hitting critical levels.

“Doctor?”  She repeated, reaching out to place a gentle hand on his arm.

Rather than say anything he slowly brought his fist up, fingers unclenching one by one until his hand was flat.

Sitting in the middle of his palm was the most gorgeous ring she’d ever seen.  With a silver band, a decent but not obscene sapphire sat nestled between two small diamonds.

Rose brought one hand to her mouth, looking between him and the ring.  “What?”  She whispered, surprised at the tears pricking her eyes.

“It’s a ring,” he explained unnecessarily, staring down at the piece of jewelry.  He took several deep breaths before admitting in a rush, “I bought it for you.”

“When?”  Is all she can think to ask, but she’s not in any way prepared for the answer.

“Years ago.”

“Years?”

“On Tholla Seven.”

It took her a moment to place the name, brow furrowing.  “Hang on, wasn’t that where I got Mum’s bazoolium?”

He nodded slowly, gaze finally rising to meet hers.

“You bought me a ring?”  The idea completely blows her mind.  “You bought me a _ring_.”

“Yeah,” he muttered, hand spasming as if he wanted to hide it away.

“Doctor,” Rose stared at him wide eyed, “ _you bought me a ring._   Why?”

His other hand came up to ruffle his hair before tugging on his earlobe on its way to rub at the back of his neck.

“Because it’s pretty?”  The Doctor suggested weakly.  Her expression did not change.  “Because I lo- because I saw it and I knew you should have it?”

Finally turning in her seat to face him fully, she waited the alien out.

Always uncomfortable with silence, he began to babble as she’d hoped.

“We were there, and you were off, and all I was looking for was a chain for your key – you wanted a new one, remember?  And I saw it, and it just – it called to me.  So I bought it.”

Looking down at the ring, he played with it gently, wondering if he was brave enough to take the leap.  It’d been several months now, and Rose was showing no indication of trying to find her way back again.  They didn’t talk about it, but their relationship was clear, wasn’t it?  How he felt?

“I love you,” he blurted, suddenly remembering he hadn’t told her yet that day, needing her to _know_.

“I love you too,” Rose said softly, reaching out to take his hand.  “And I want you – that’s all.  As long as we’re together, properly, like we’ve been?  That’s all I need.  Anything else is just – extra.  A bonus.”

Looking up into her eyes, even the Doctor could see the love and sincerity shining there.

“Like marriage?”  He hadn’t meant to say it, but it came out anyway.

“Like marriage,” she agreed, lips twitching.  “By my ways or yours, by the way.   I assume your people had some sort of tradition?”

The Doctor’s heart pounded in his chest at the opening.  He’d long since wanted to bond with her, join their minds together and show her everything; it was one of his biggest regrets that they’d never taken that step before- well, before.

“We did,” he acknowledged, “but that’s a discussion for another time.  I suppose for now, there’s a question I’m supposed to ask?”

“If you want,” Rose breathed, hands shaking slightly.  “But only if you want.  Bonus, remember?”

“Right.”  Mouth dry, the Doctor took a big gulp from his water glass before rising from the chair to kneel in front of Rose.  “So, I don’t actually know how this is done, so tell me if I’m getting it wrong, yeah?”

She nodded, biting her lip.

“Rose, I- hang on, before I start, am I making a fool of myself?”  He asked anxiously, peering up at her.

She giggled nervously.  “Honestly, I hope Mum’s actually recording this like she’s trying to, cause right now I’m just tryin’ to pick our wedding cake.”

“Right,” he repeated, exhaling a nervous breath.  “Here goes.  Love, from the moment- can I just make you cocoa instead?”

“What?”

“In Aztec culture, making someone hot chocolate is the equivalent of a proposal.  Er, so I’ve heard.  Anyway-”

“Doctor, did you once get engaged to an Aztec?”  Rose asked, smiling wryly at him.

He grimaced.  “Yeah.  It’s a long story.  My friend Barbara-” he cut himself off with a cough.  “It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later.  If you want.  Can I just-”

“Please.”

“Okay.”  He cleared his throat again.  “Rose.”  He didn’t say anything for several long seconds, only speaking at a prompt from a raised eyebrow.

“Okay, so, here goes.  Rose, will you marry me?”

“Yes!”  She squealed, throwing her arms around his neck as she snogged him thoroughly.

They ignored Tony’s disgust next to them, too happy to care.

Finally breaking apart, the Doctor slid the ring onto Rose’s finger; as expected, it was a perfect fit.

“I love it,” she gushed, holding out one hand to admire it.

“I love you,” he told her, hugging her close.

“Oi!”  Jackie shouted, causing the couple to break apart.

“What?”  The Doctor asked, one arm still around Rose’s waist.  “She’s an adult, Jackie, she certainly doesn’t need your permission.”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to ask, though I’m not wasting my breath on that.  But she does need a proper proposal!”  His now mother-in-law-to-be exclaimed, hands waving in the air.

He blinked at her, before frowning down at Rose.  “I got on one knee, I had a ring, I asked the question – what did I miss?”

“The speech!”  Jackie cried in exasperation.  “Before you actually ask, you give her a big romantic speech about what she means to you, and how much you love her, and all that.  I got one from Pete – both times!  She deserves that as well.”

The Doctor glanced between Rose’s parents.  “Can’t I get her name right in the vows and call it even?”  Rose’s elbow dug sharply into his side.

“I don’t need a speech,” she reassured him.

“Good,” he scowled.  “The very fact that I’m here, living in this house with Jackie, having conversations about paint colors and milk and all sorts of domestics without regurgitating my last meal should say more than enough.”

“It does,” Rose rolled her eyes at the less than flowery language.  “And, I know.”

“Really, how could you not?”

“Right?”

“So, we’ll marry then?”  The Doctor double checked.

“Yes.  By Earth customs, but perhaps by Time Lord customs as well?  What are they?”

He stared down at her, wondering if she’d truly be interested in that kind of permanent closeness.  “I’ll tell you later.”

“You better,” Rose ordered, as they finally returned to their seats.  “Now – you were saying Agatha couldn’t cope with aliens?”


End file.
